Trip report by Pete Rudnick

2000 Team Wrong Way Road Trip to St. George's, (and vicinity) Utah.

Friday, May 26, There is nothing like getting up at 3am, scrambling to finish loading the van with all your gear, grabbing a bite to eat, and a cup of coffee. Then dashing off to meet Wes and his son Trevor over in Livermore - transferring everything from my van to his, and making it out of town by 4! Beat the traffic though! Just outside Bakersfield, we catch up to Scott Seery, Ron Chai, and Justin, who had left the evening before. Caravanned with then for an hour or so, but we were motoring, and soon left them behind. Our only glitch was when we almost ran out of gas just outside Las Vegas, poor Trevor was sweating as the on board computer told us we were down to less than 1 mile left, fortunately a station popped up ahead and as we watched the gauge drop to zero, slid to the pumps on fumes! (We put in over 19 gallons in a 20-gallon tank; Trevor looked it up in the manual) Made it to St. George's in darn good time, but ouch, the temperature was hot! hot! hot!

We first scouted out the visitors center, looking at all the neat Indian lore and finding a book on MTB'ing in St. George, and talking to an older gentlemen on how St. George's got it's name. (Guy loved to talk, and told us some good stories) Found a local bike shop and asked for recommendations for a good evening ride. Then stopped by the grocery store for supplies before checking in over at the campsite. Wes had made some excellent reservations at this really nice camping area, overlooking the lake -- sheltered picnic tables, restrooms close by, Big bluff behind us amongst the rocks, can you say rocks?

After Scott, Ron, and Justin arrived, and set up camp, we all headed out for the first of some awesome riding to be had on this trip.

Church Rocks - we drove up to a chained road with a no trespassing sign near by and said yep this was the place. Unloaded the bikes, suited up and road off into the sunset. Well, not quite, but up to a big water tank, and scouted around for the way across the interstate hiway, the guy at the bike shop told us you must ride through a drainage pipe, under the hiway? As we were looking around we saw another group of riders riding across the way and watched them for a while, but also spotted the trail right below us. Quickly rounded up the group and bombed down the trail to this big pipe, and as you rode through it (it was very dark) not knowing if something or not would suddenly grab your wheel, make it out the other side to some sandy rocky trails and then the fun began riding on some rock ledges, and terrain similar to slick rock or so I was told. Did a nice loop and really got our appetites whetted up for the next days rides. The ride back through the pipe was just as exciting as I started experiencing vertigo, and was hoping the guy behind me wouldn't run into me before I made it through! Made for some good conversation that night at dinner. Later, much later, Mark, Eve and Dawn arrived and quickly set up there camp as we were all tired from the day's activities and settled down for the night.

Saturday morning, we all agreed to do the Gooseberry mesa loop over in Zion country. It was a bit of a drive and down some dirt roads, But Mark lead us right to the trailhead. We assembled our bikes and geared up for the days ride. We also met Mike whose parents lived in town, and joined us for the ride. This was a ride to live for! Lots of rocks to ride over, good rolling trails, superb views, and friends to enjoy with! A truly great days worth of riding, even I suffered a blister from the tight grip required in places, as you looked thousands of feet down to the valley below -- wow! Had to cool down in the lake after the ride.

Sunday, we again rode over in Zion country, this time it was the JEM trail. Up a jeep road we encountered some of the local wildlife -- the loud rattling of a rattlesnake startled us! As some folks grabbed for there cameras, Scott had to play with it and it slide out of view. We continued our climb up the mesa to the entrance to the JEM trail; - a fun twisty, downhill with jumps, rocks, and cactus, to look out for. Both Mark and I suffered flat tires, but the neat trail up on the bluffs above the Virgin River, was again something to live for. At the end of the ride we all went down to the river for a swim, Scott and I quickly lost our clothes and made like a fish -- so relaxing!

We were all-hungry after the ride and being so close to Zion national park, decided to drove on over and check it out -- stopping along the way for lunch at a local farm deli. Delicious sandwich with some chips! At the entrance to the park, was a crowd, so Mark, Eve, Dawn, Scott, and Ron, decided to bag it and go back to the river -- losers! Whereas Wes, Trevor, Justin, and I went for the grand tour of the park! Spectacular rock and sandstone formations make up the park and are a must see in your lifetime!

We took the drive up, over, and through fabulous sites, stopping for pictures, and on one occasion, for me to retrieve my hat as I wanted to make it sure we would clear the tunnels with our bikes on the overhead rack! (I stuck my head out the window, dumb, good thing all I lost was my hat -- had room to spare.) Back at the new visitors center, (which had just opened that Friday), I was noticing some posters that were spectacular! I starting asking around and we all agreed to check it out. That meant riding the shuttle, (which is also new this year, a test bed for Yosemite and other parks) to the end of the line and then a hike up the Virgin River to the Narrows - a place where the walls close in around you and for hundreds of feet overhead! Little did we know it would entail wading for hours up the river against the currant amide lots of rocks covered in slippery stuff! Several times we slipped and I came close to swimming on more then one occasion. But boy, was it worth every moment. (And what a work out.)

Wes took lots of photos, and I hope some make it on the site. It was late when we returned to our car and we hurried on down the road to dinner at a local restaurant in Hurricane. When we got back to the campground they had all ready closed the gate! What were we going to do? Luckily we where able to skirt some tire damaging devices by our ingenuity, and make it back to our campsite. Tired, and wore out, I sat down, had a beer, then retired for the evening.

Monday morning, Mark, Eve, and Dawn, finished packing up their stuff, calling it the end of the weekend for them. For us though, wow! We headed up to Cedar City and then up into the high country. Can you say snow? After seeing 105 and there abouts for the last couple of days, it was refreshing to see temperatures in the 70's, trees, and best of all the most perfect trails known to man, I was in heaven! Single track on the ridge tops, through virgin snowdrifts, spectacular scenery, and that pine scent in the air, oh man! It was a trail ride I didn't want to see the end of, but alas all good things must end - Justin and I made the most of it, returning by the Dike trail, and then back down along the way we had gone up -- fast, twisty, rocky, beautiful!

We all completed the excursion by taking a hike down to Cascade Falls, a water fall, formed in the rocks by water coming from sinkholes below the Navajo Lake, another wonder of nature. The view from there was spectacular, seeing Zion Park from the other direction and from the top (I couldn't fathom that we had been at the very bottom the day before -- amazing) We reluctantly loaded back into our vehicles and drove back down into the heat, stopping at a local restaurant for dinner, then kicking back watching the traffic on a busy thoroughfare, letting our food digest. (Pickup trucks rule!) Letting the temperature settle a little, before making it back to camp, for showers and much needed rest.

The trip back was pretty much uneventful, one, a fatal accident, slowed us down for about twenty minutes, that and with the constant head wind we encountered, only slowed us by about 30 minutes or so from our time down. It was a truly wonderful vacation, the sights, sounds, and activities were fantastic, and there is already talk about doing it again next year, only this time we would base out of Brian's Head. Thanks to Wes Taylor, and Mark & Eve Davidson, for making this one of my most memorial rides, and best vacation in years.

Pedaling w/ Pete

Trip report by Scott Seery

Here are a few of my thoughts about our recent trip:

1) I don't believe Hell could be any hotter than SW Utah in late May, although it actually cooled down to the mid 80s at night. April and October are better choices. Next time.

2) Riding at higher elevations (9000 - 10,000 feet) near Cedar Breaks, even in the hell we call SW Utah, is a short but welcome step towards the coolness of Heaven itself. Enjoy the temperature relief, but deal with the altitude bonk.

3) Gooseberry Mesa ranks in the top 5 of all the technical trails I have ever ridden. It was plain bitchin', dude. One of the best. I would do it again in a heartbeat. (Can I fly out next time instead of driving?)

4) Gooseberry Mesa is a great place to ride technical single track. Rocky, twisty, very busy, mental concentration needed. A bit like Toad's, a bit like Rockville, a bit like some of the tight single track we never, ever ride on the UCSC campus.

5) Did I mention Gooseberry Mesa? It proved to be such great fun playing cat and mouse with Pete (me cat, him mouse). We totally moto-ed. Way fun. The Schwinn 4-Banger was awesome on this stuff.

6) Getting organic in the cool Virgin River after a hot hellish ride in the friggen desert was like another slice of Heaven. Next time I know where I'll camp.

7) Just what the hell was Justin drinking?? I think we should sell it.

8) Mmmmm... tacoooooos......

9) Mmmmm... solar showerrrrrrs.....

10) Not a single mosquito bite. Contrast this with the bazillion I got at Boggs the week before.

11) The 4-banger operated quite well (in spite of what previous reports may have suggested) once I adjusted the shifter cable tension and shared a few choice expletives with the world on the initial ride on Church Rock the day we arrived. A bent derailleur hanger was massaged back into shape the day before and eyeballed for trueness. I was bit off, apparently.

12) Cascade Falls was well worth the hike after our ride near Cedar Breaks. And, yes, there does appear to be O2 in the tunnel.

13) Thank goodness for Wes and Trevor's stash of Swiss cheese, Rootbeer, jelly beans, and Clif Bars. I would have been in much sorrier shape after the ride on Monday without it. Bonk city, baby.

14) Gooseberry Mesa.

15) It actually felt good to get out of bed at 6:00 am and stand outside the tent in nothing but shorts. Too damn hot inside the tent. How Trevor managed to sleep so long and hard so late in the morning escapes me. I was already sweatin'.

16) Ron slept alot when I drove the 11 hours each way. Couldn't have been the stimulating conversation.

17) I'm sure glad my 10 year old Nissan 4x4 with 223,xxx miles on the clock made it to and fro. Kick ass.

Glad to be home. Hate being back at work.

Scott